ISLEHAM WAR
MEMORIAL

The
memorial stands outside St. Andrew’s Parish Church and takes the
form of a Celtic cross of sacrifice on plinth and base with a Sword
of Sacrifice on the front face of the cross. There are 45 names for
World War 1 and 14 for World War 2. The architect was Mr Thomas Dinham
Atkinson. The forty-five World War 1 names are also listed on a stone
memorial plaque inside the church. The unveiling of the exterior memorial
is shown in a picture to be found on the Cambridgeshire
Community Archives Network website.

Private 2nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, died
26/9/1916, age 29, buried: Vermelles British Cemetery, Pas de Calais,
France. David, Harry and John William Butcher were brothers sons
of Jonathan and Mary Butcher, of Fen Bank, Isleham, Ely. There was
one surviving son (Isaac). In 1901 David Harry and John were 13,
9 and 6 respectively.

BUTCHER

Harry

Private 3/7438, 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action
3/3/1915 in France & Flanders. Born Isleham, enlisted Norwich.
David, Harry and John William Butcher were brothers sons of Jonathan
and Mary Butcher, of Fen Bank, Isleham, Ely. There was one surviving
son (Isaac). In 1901 David Harry and John were 13, 9 and 6 respectively.
Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen,
Belgium. Panel 4

BUTCHER

John William

Private 30375, 9th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Killed
in action 10/4/1918. Born and resident Isleham, enlisted Newmarket,
Suffolk. David, Harry and John William Butcher were brothers sons
of Jonathan and Mary Butcher, of Fen Bank, Isleham, Ely. There was
one surviving son (Isaac). In 1901 David Harry and John were 13,
9 and 6 respectively. Formerly 13254, Suffolk Regiment. Commemorated
in CROIX-DU-BAC BRITISH CEMETERY, STEENWERCK, Nord, France. Special
Memorial A. I.

Private 35992, 75th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. Died from dysentery
on Sunday the 1st December 1918 whilst serving as a driver for his
unit. Son of John Clarke and Naomi Clarke, nee Human. Of eight borthers
who served, Herbert was the only one who died, although others were
invalided out through wounds. Buried in Deir el Belah War Cemetery,
Israel.

Lance Sergeant 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, died
20/7/1916, age 32, commemorated: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Son of Ann Cornwell, of The Grove, Isleham, Ely, Cambs., and the
late William Cornwell; husband of Mercy M. Cornwell, of 21, Manchester
St., Cambridge.

CURTIS

Cecil T

Private TF5997, 1/8th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment.
Killed in action 17/9/1916 in France & Flanders. Born and resident
Isleham, enlisted Bury St. Edmunds. Cecil Curtis was 9 at the time
of the 1901 census and living in Pound Lane with parents Joseph
P and Mercy Curtis.

DRAYTON

Victor

Lance Corporal 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, died
15/5/1917, buried: Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty, Pas
de Calais, France. Born Isleham. Victor Drayton was the son of Eliza
Drayton, born in 1884. His mother did not marry until 1889 when
she wed Elijah Brown, with whom Victor was living in 1901. his identity
has proven hard to pin down becuase he was originally named Dolphus
Victor and (not surprisngly) it would seem he dropped the Dolphus.

Gunner, "B" Battery, 317th Brigade Royal Field
Artillery, died 22/12/1918, age 27, buried: Etaples Military Cemetery,
Pas de Calais, France. Son of William and Naomi Fleet, of Blacksmith
Yard, West St., Isleham, Cambs. Native of Isleham.

Private 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, died 8/5/1915,
commemorated: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen,
Belgium. Born Isleham in 1891. Son of William and Hannah of The
Pits.

GOODCHILD

Edward

Private 3rd Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey
Regiment), died 4/5/1917, age 35, buried: Savona Town Cemetery,
Italy. Son of James and Alice Goodchild, of Isleham; husband of
M. A. Goodchild, of The White Lion, Isleham, Cambs. Drowned at sea
on his way to Egypt when his ship was torpedoed in the Mediterranean
Sea on May4th 1917. He had been the village blacksmith at Isleham
for 15 years. He left a widow and three children. He joined up in
January 1917. (see The Newmarket Journal Saturday June 9 1917).

HALL

John

Private 59479, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Died of
wounds 8/11/1918 in France & Flanders. Born Isleham in 1899,
enlisted Cambridge. Son of John and Elizabeth of West Street.

Private
3/9737, 10th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Enlisted 2nd September
1914, discharged because of tuberculosis 4th December 1915, died
9/7/1919 at Isleham. In 1915, Lily Harvey got married. Her father
is shown as being James Harvey, a Private soldier in the Suffolk
Regiment. He has been traced back to his wedding, which took place
on 29th April 1892 to Hannah Bird, showing his age in 1892 as 26;
he was born 1866 in Isleham, son of Richard & Elizabeth Harvey
[nee Gammon]. He is the brother of William (below).

HARVEY

William

Private 17507, 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, died
20/12/1918, age 34, buried: Wisbech Borough Cemetery, Cambridgeshire,
United Kingdom. Son of Mrs. Elizabeth Harvey; husband of Elizabeth
Newman (formerly Harvey), of Council Houses, Harecroft Rd., Wisbech.
Born at Isleham, Cambs in 1884. He is the brother of James [above].
Enlisted 38th Decmeber 1914, discharged 8th February 1918.

HOUGHTON

Christopher

Private 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, died 26/8/1914,
commemorated: La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France.
Born Isleham. Son of Robert and Elizabeth of Hives Drove; brother
of William Victor, below.

HOUGHTON

William [Victor]

[Also known as Victor William] Private 16854, 11th Battalion, Suffolk
Regiment. Killed in action 1/7/1916 in France & Flanders. Born
Isleham, enlisted Ely. Son of Robert and Elizabeth of Hives Drove;
brother of Christopher, above.

Private 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, died 8/2/1915,
buried: St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. Born
Isleham. Son of George W and Delphine of Fen Bank and was 5 at the
time of the 1901 census. He had 1 brother and 3 sisters, but his
parents were still of childbearing age, so others may have followed.

Acting Corporal, 9284, 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Died of
wounds 8/10/1915 in France & Flanders. Born Paddington, Middlesex,
enlisted Bury St. Edmunds. Son of Samuel Boyce and Mary Elizabeth
Newling. His father had been a Baptist Minister in Isleham.

Sergeant 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, died 7/12/1914,
buried: Bailleul Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Born Isleham.
Arthur, Thomas and Vernon Place were brothers and the sons of Charles
and Mary Place of Fen Bank in Isleham. In the 1901 census, they
were 16, 12 and 7 respectively.

His
temporary grave in 1914 and the grave he is buried in are shown
below.

Arthur (left)
and Thomas (right) Place
Courtesy Nick Carver 2013

PLACE

Thomas

Corporal 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, died 3/10/1915,
commemorated: Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Born Isleham.
Arthur, Thomas and Vernon Place were brothers and the sons of Charles
and Mary Place of Fen Bank in Isleham. In the 1901 census, they
were 16, 12 and 7 respectively.

Bombardier, Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action in September
1918, aged 28. His daughter, Lilly Rayment (now Sheldrick), was
born about 1918. He was the son of John & Harriet Rayment of
Cambridge, one of 14 childred. Married Agnes Louisa Fleet of Isleham
in Cambridge Registry Office. Agnes was the sister of Robert Fleet,
who is also on the Isleham war memorial. They lived a short time
in Isleham before Alfred Charles was called up for the RFA and he
was He is buried in France.

Private
15th Battalion, London Regiment, (Prince of Wales’
Own Civil Service Rifles), died 26/10/1918, age 18, buried:
Isleham Cemetery, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. Son of
Frederick and Mary Reed, of Field Farm, Isleham, Cambs.

Corporal 57 Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps,
died 18/8/1943, age 25, buried: Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia.
Son of Lewis and Susan E. Cornwell, of Isleham, Cambridgeshire;
husband of Bertha Beatrice Cornwell, of Tilney-all-Saints, Norfolk.

Driver Royal Army Service Corps, died 1/2/1944, age 30, buried:
Dely Ibrahim War Cemetery, Algeria. Son of William and Rose Reed;
husband of Charlotte Reed, of Isleham, Cambridgeshire.

RADFORD

Robert Arthur

Ordinary Seaman P/JX 294856, H.M.S. Anking, Royal Navy. Died when
HMS Anking, was sunk by Japanese gunfire at 06:30 on 4th March 1942.
Aged 20. Son of Arthur George
and Gertrude Radford, of Walthamstow, Essex. No known grave. Commemorated
on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire. Panel 66, Column 1.

Note: A squadron of Japanese heavy
cruisers, led by Admiral Kondo, engaged the convoy containing HMS
Anking. The squadron consisted of Atago, Takao and Maya, each armed
with ten 8-inch guns, and two destroyers, Arashi and Nowaki. The
cruisers opened fire while remaining outside the range of the escorts
guins. HMS Anking sank in less than 10 minutes with the loss of
one officer and 25 ratings.